Woody van Amen - New Realism

Woody van Amen New Realism June 25 - July 17, 2021 GRIMM Van Baerlestraat 80, Amsterdam (NL)

Detail | Landscape with two horizons - Hunting ground, 2003

Woody van Amen New Realism GRIMM is proud to present nine assemblages and paintings by renowned Dutch artist Woody van Amen (1936), opening Friday 25 June at our Van Baerlestraat location in Amsterdam.

The opening of the exhibition coincides with Amsterdam Art Week.

Van Amen’s long career has seen his oeuvre span a wide variety of practices ranging from painting to sculpture, kinetic art, zero and arte povera, to organizing happenings and performances. He was one of the very first artists to incorporate Perspex, neon and plastics into his work. What has remained a key component in all his works is the use of everyday elements, which he elevates to become symbols. Van Amen works with ready-mades - using material itself as a means, other than the depicted material used - and thereby making it more real and tangible.

Van Amen also employs a specific set of invented and self-referential symbols, constructed to carry both a philosophical and mathematical meaning, such as the patented symbol TAXAT. Or his signature self-symbol based on the Matterhorn mountain range.

In the exhibition three groups of three works are shown. The earliest date from 1963 and are classis ‘new realism’ works closely associated to early Pop-Art. Phillips (1963-1974), Stuyvesant (1963) and Esso (1963) all employ the company logo’s the titles are based on. Phillips was adjusted to

June 25 - July 17, 2021 Van Baerlestraat 80, Amsterdam (NL)

incorporate an ironing board in 1974 and early Robert Rauschenberg and Jasper Johns influences can be seen in these early works.

These works were part of his early career retrospective in 1977 at Museum Boijmans van Beuningen in Rotterdam (NL), which included work from 1963-1977.

The next three works show how Van Amen developed beyond Pop-Art and consist of a group of paintings incorporating neon and led lights. The TAXAT symbols appears omnipresent in these works. The neon used to set apart the painted surface such as in Constellation with Southern Cross (1999-2000), where the TAXAT symbols is shown to align with the Southern Cross constellation. These works show a new romanticism and influences from Van Amen’s many travels abroad. A key work from the exhibition is Starry night at Koh Phangan from 1997- 1998, which depicts the earths cycle and the island’s shape outlined in neon at night.

Lastly the exhibition includes three recent modestly scaled paintings, featuring the double cross motif, the TAXAT palindrome and all other key elements from his storied and rich oeuvre.

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About the artist Woody van Amen (b. 1936, Eindhoven, NL) lives and works in Rotterdam (NL).

Van Amen attended the Academy of Fine Arts in Rotterdam in 1956, after which he travelled to the United States and studied at Cooper Union in New York from 1961-1963. The period he spent in New York was a formative moment in his career and his life; he became acquainted with Robert Rauschenberg, Andy Warhol, and other artists at the forefront of defining Pop art in United States. He later returned to the Netherlands and implemented a newborn pop aesthetic in collages and paintings.

Following this, Van Amen travelled widely in Southeast Asia where he drew inspiration from the visual language and culture, introducing these elements in and spiritual reflection into his artwork. Since the 1970s Van Amen taught for many years at his Alma Mater, the Academy of Fine Arts in Rotterdam (NL). He received an artist’s residency at Baltimore Art College in 1988 and in 1993 he was awarded the Hendrik Chabot Prize. His work has been exhibited widely throughout Europe since the 1970s onwards. In 2013, His work was the subject of a 2003 a retrospective exhibition at the Museum Het Valkhof, Nijmegen (NL). His work was exhibited at the 1969 Dutch Pavilion at the World Exhibition in Osaka (JP) and the 37th Venice Biennale (IT) in 1976. In 2020, the International Film Festival Rotterdam premiered Pop Secret by Pascal Korteweg, about the artist’s life, which includes 8mm films made when he came to New York in the 1960s.

Recent exhibition include, Some Like it Hot, EENWERK, Amsterdam (NL) in 2020; More Power, ZERP Gallery, Rotterdam (NL) in 2019; Paradise Lost, Museum Henriette Polak and

Stedelijk Museum, Zutphen (NL) in 2019; Fang Wu Ti, Nest, The Hague (NL) in 2018; Woody van Amen: Time Capsules at Museum Beelden Aan Zee, Scheveningen (NL) in 2018; SPIELEREI at Schunck, Heerlen (NL) in 2016; New Romantic Spirit (with Hidde Van Schie), TENT, Rotterdam, (NL) in 2015, and Woody van Amen, C-SPACE; Beijing (CN) in 2013.

He has exhibited at such renowned museums and institutions as; The Jewish Museum, New York, NY (US); Kunstmuseum, The Hague (NL); Palais des Beaux-Arts, Brussels (BE); Kunsthalle, Lund (CH), Kunsthalle, Bern (CH); Musée des Arts Décoratifs (MAD), Paris (FR); Royal Museum of Fine Arts, Antwerp (BE); National Museum of Contemporary Art, Seoul (KR); University of Arizona Museum of Art, Tuscon, AZ (US); Stedelijk Museum, Schiedam (NL), The National Museum of Singapore (SG); Mu.ZEE, Museum of Modern Art, Ostend (BE); Centro Cultural de Belém, Lisbon (PT); Museum of Contemporary Art, Caracas (VE); Kunsthal Rotterdam (NL); Musée d’Art Moderne, Villeneuve-d’Ascq (FR); Noordbrabants Museum, ‘s-Hertogenbosch (NL); Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, Rotterdam (NL); Museum Het Valkhof, Nijmegen (NL); Museum van Bommel Van Dam, Venlo (NL); Van Abbemuseum, Eindhoven (NL); Museum Arnhem (NL); Chabot Museum, Rotterdam (NL).

His work can be found in numerous public collections such as, Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), New York, NY (US); Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam (NL); Museum Boijmans van Beuningen, Rotterdam (NL); Centraal Museum, Utrecht (NL); Museum S.M.A.K., Ghent (BE); National Museum of Singapore (SG); NEKA Art Museum, Ubud, Bali (ID); Melaka Museum, Malaysia (MY); Museum Bommel van Dam, Venlo (NL); and Museum Het Valkhof, Nijmegen (NL); among others.

Philips, 1963-1974 Oil on canvas, iron and ironing board Painting: 170 x 140 cm | 66 7/8 x 55 1/8 in Overall: 90 x 120 x 30 cm | 35 3/8 x 47 1/4 x 11 3/4 in

Perspective view | Philips, 1963-1974

Detail | Philips, 1963-1974

Constellation with Southern Cross, 1999-2000 Oil on canvas with neon and led lights 180.5 x 119.5 x 10 cm | 71 1/8 x 47 1/8 x 4 in

Esso, 1963 Oil on canvas, framed 92.5 x 112.5 x 3.7 cm | 36 3/8 x 44 1/4 x 1 1/2 in

Detail | Esso, 1963

Rotterdam Cup Final, 2020 Acrylic on canvas with neon and led lights 160 x 119.5 x 10 cm | 63 x 47 1/8 x 4 in

Starry Night at Koh Phangan, 1997-1998 Oil on canvas with neon and led lights 120.5 x 160 x 10 cm | 47 1/2 x 63 x 4 in

Detail | Starry Night at Koh Phangan, 1997-1998

Stuyvesant, 1963 Oil on canvas, framed 161.5 x 130.5 x 3.7 cm | 63 5/8 x 51 3/8 x 1 1/2 in

Landscape with two horizons - Hunting ground, 2003 Oil on canvas with neon and led lights 150 x 110 x 10 cm | 59 1/8 x 43 1/4 x 4 in

Sea star, 2019 Oil on canvas 60 x 50 cm | 23 5/8 x 19 3/4 in

Detail | Sea star, 2019

Aquarium, 2019 Oil on canvas 70 x 50 cm | 27 1/2 x 19 3/4 in

Panorama Matterhorn, 2006 Oil on canvas 50 x 70 cm | 19 3/4 x 27 1/2 in

Woody van Amen

b. 1936, Eindhoven (NL)

Woody van Amen, objects, drawings, graphic art, Haags Gemeente Museum, The Hague (NL)

Lives and works in Rotterdam (NL)

Aspecten van beweging, Gallery De Vollemaan, Delft (NL)

1981

Kunstcentrum De Vaart, Hilversum (NL)

Bichmann Art Gallery, Antwerpen BE)

1980

Gallery Lara Vincy, Paris (FR)

Gallery Brinkman, Amsterdam (NL)

1978

Musée d’Art et díHistoire, Geneva (CH)

Museum het Prinsenhof, Delft (NL)

Gallery Brinkman, Amsterdam (NL)

1977

Museum Boymans-Van Beuningen, Rotterdam (NL)

1975

Gallery Yaki Kornblit, Amsterdam (NL)

Pander Kunstcentrum, The Hague (NL)

1974

Gallery Yaki Kornblit, Amsterdam (NL)

1973

Gallery Richard Foncke, Ghent (BE)

Gallery Yaki Kornblit, Amsterdam (NL)

1971

Gallery ‘20’, Amsterdam (NL)

2019 More Power, ZERP Gallery, Rotterdam (NL)

1970

Gallery ‘t Venster, Rotterdam (NL)

2018 Fang Wu Ti, Nest, The Hague (NL)

De Doelen, Rotterdam (NL)

Gallery Defacqz, Brussels (BE)

1969

Permanent waves, Gallery ‘t Venster, Rotterdam, (NL)

Gallery ‘20’, Amsterdam (NL)

Gallery Jalmar, Amsterdam (NL)

1968

Gallery Waalkens, Finsterwolde (NL)

Markt 17, Enschede (NL)

1967

Gallery ‘20’, Amsterdam (NL)

1966

Gallery Delta, Rotterdam (NL)

1965

Gallery ‘t Venster, Rotterdam (NL)

1989 Claartje de Gruyter Gallery, Vught (NL)

Atelier I, Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam (NL)

1987 Rabogallery, Utrecht (NL)

1963

Gallery Delta, Rotterdam (NL)

1986 Woody van Amen 240 days/dagen/jours/tage,

Paleis van Schone Kunsten, Brussels (BE)

1962

Cottage Club on the Lake, New York, NY (US)

Woody van Amen’s Oriental Journey, Art Action, Hyatt Regency Hotel, Singapore (SG)

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS

Oet’s Fine Art Gallery, Jakarta (ID)

1985

Woody van Amen 240 days/dagen/jours/tage, Stedelijk Van Abbe Museum, Eindhoven (NL)

1983

De plaats van de Kunstenaar in de Samenleving, Gallery JL, Ostend (BE)

Gallery Black Cat, Rotterdam (NL)

1982

National Museum, Singapore (SG)

EDUCATION 1961

Cooper Union, New York, NY, (US)

1956

Willem de Kooning Academie, Rotterdam (NL)

AWARDS AND RESIDENCIES 1993

National Hendrik Chabot Prize

1988

Artist in Residence, Baltimore Art College, Baltimore, MD (US)

Citizen of Honor, Baltimore, MD (US)

SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS 2021 New Realism, GRIMM, Amsterdam (NL) 2020 Some Like it Hot, EENWERK, Amsterdam (NL)

Woody van Amen: Time Capsules, Museum Beelden aan Zee, Scheveningen (NL)

2013 Woody van Amen: SHAN 2013 (MOMENTS TO REMEMBER), Ron Mandos, Amsterdam (NL)

Retrospective, Museum Het Valkhof, Nijmegen (NL)

Woody van Amen, C-SPACE; Beijing (CN)

1993

Woody van Amen, Art means business, Mu.ZEE, Ostend, (BE)

1991

Woody van Amen retrospectief, 1960-1990, Gasunie, Groningen (NL)

2019 Paradise Lost, Museum Henriette Polak, and

Stedelijk Museum, Zutphen (NL) 2016 SPIELEREI, Schunck, Heerlen (NL) 2015 New Romantic Spirit (with Hidde Van Schie),

TENT, Rotterdam (NL) 2002 Dutch Mountains, Museum Van Bommel Van

Dam, Venlo (NL)

2000 Nederlandse Pop Art – Woody van Amen,

Gustave Asselbergs, Wun Schippers, MK

Expositierauimte, Rotterdam (NL)

Bloemen van de NIeuwe Tijd,

Nederlandse Bloemschilderkunst 1980-2000,

Noordbrabants Museum, ‘s-Hertogenbosch (NL) 1997

The Pop 60’s-Transatlantic Crossing, Centro Cultural de Belem, Lisbon (PT)

1994

Humanisme and Technology, Seoul International Art Festival. National Museum of Contemporary Art, Seoul (KR)

Lust voor het oog, een keuze uit 30 jaar verbeelding van seksualiteit, Stichting Amazone, Amsterdam (NL)

1990

National Museum, Singapore (SG)

Kunst x Kunst, Stedelijk Museum Het Prinsenhof, Delft (NL)

1988

Line and Image, The Northern Sensibility in Recent European Drawing 1988-89, travelling exhibition, organized and circula ted by Independent Curators Incorporated, New York. Peter Frank, guest curator, University of Arizona Museum of curator, University of Arizona Museum of Art, Tucson, AZ (US)

Collection Agnes et Frits Becht, Musee d’Art Moderne, Villeneuve d’Ascq Gallery d ‘Eendt, Amsterdam (NL)

1987

Rotterdam Retrospectief, Museum Boymans-van Beuningen, Rotterdam (NL)

1986

Hoog te Paard, with J.A. Deelder, Steendrukkerij Amsterdam (NL)

1985

Kunstwerk, Peter Stuyvesant Foundation, Zevenaar (NL)

‘9e Foire d’Art Actuel’ , Pala1s des Beau, - Arts, Brussels (BE)

SELECTED COLLECTIONS Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), New York, NY (US) Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam (NL) Museum Boijmans van Beuningen, Rotterdam (NL) Centraal Museum, Utrecht (NL) S.M.A.K., Ghent (BE) National Museum of Singapore (SG) NEKA Art Museum, Ubud, Bali (ID)

Noordbrabants Museum. ‘s-Hertogenbosch (NL) Melaka Museum, Malaysia (MY) Museum Bommel van Dam, Venlo (NL) Museum Het Valkhof, Nijmegen (NL)

Museum Arnhem, Arnhem (NL)

1976 Dutch Pavilion, 37th Venice Biennale, Venice (IT) 1969 Dutch Pavilion, World Exhibition in Osaka (JP) 1964

Nieuwe Realisten en Pop Art, Kunstmuseum, the Hague (NL)

Neue Realisten und Pop Art, Akademie der Kunste, Berlin (DE)

1962

New Trends in Painting, Westchester Art Society, New York, NY (US)

1961

Liga Nieuwe Beelden, Stedel1Jk Museum, Amsterdam (NL)

VAN BAERLESTRAAT 80 1071 BB AMSTERDAM

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VAN BAERLESTRAAT 80 1071 BB AMSTERDAM

KEIZERSGRACHT 241 1016EA AMSTERDAM

+31 (0) 20 675 24 65 THE NETHERLANDS

54 WHITE STREET NEW YORK, NY 10013

+1 (212) 280-3877 UNITED STATES

INFO@GRIMMGALLERY.COM WWW.GRIMMGALLERY.COM